Course Description
Go back in time more than 2 million years when our pre-human ancestors started making stone tools, tour the painted caves of Paleolithic Europe, explore the mysteries of Maya pyramids, and much more. This course introduces students to the clues archaeologists use to understand ancient societies before written histories.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
SLOs for MAC #9: Global Engagement and Intercultural Understanding through the Social & Behavioral Sciences:
- Describe dynamic elements of different cultures. These elements may include (but are not limited to) aesthetic systems, communication systems, economics, physical environments, ethics, gender norms, geography, history, politics, religious principles, or social beliefs, norms and practices.
- Explain how similarities, differences, and connections among different groups of people or environmental systems affect one another over time and place.
SLOs for Archaeology (ARC):
- Identify sites, artifacts, and characteristics of major archaeological cultures, periods, and/or traditions.
- Relate methods and theories to archaeological data.
- Identify major cultural periods in prehistory and their comparative characteristics [e.g., Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age] (MAC 9-1; ARC 1)
- Describe dynamic characteristics of ancient cultures comparatively over time and region (MAC 9-1; ARC 1)
- Apply archaeologically-derived knowledge of past cultures and their environments to explain socio-cultural group and environmental interactions over time and place (MAC 9-2; ARC 2)
- Critique presented theories of human biological and cultural evolution (ARC 2)
- Appraise prehistoric cultural developmental sequences considering theoretical model of cultural evolution (ARC 2)
Course Grading Information:
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| Quiz 1-7 | 35% |
| Exams 1-5 | 55% |
| Attendance | 10% |
Grading Scale:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 92-100% | A |
| 90-91% | A- |
| 88-89% | B+ |
| 82-87% | B |
| 80-81% | B- |
| 78-79% | C+ |
| 72-77% | C |
| 70-71% | C- |
| 68-69% | D+ |
| 62-67% | D |
| 60-61% | D- |
| 0-59% | F |
Attendance/Participation:
There is a direct correlation between understanding class material, attendance, participation, keeping on schedule with the readings, and exam grades. Do not anticipate extra credit chances. Attendance is worth 50 points (10% of your total grade). You may miss up to 3 classes (this includes sick days) before it adversely affects your attendance grade.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
The Human Past Essentials, edited by Chris Scarre and Tammy Stone. Thames & Hudson, 2021.
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.